Current treatment of open wounds that are large and difficult to quickly close has not met with acceptable results. A current technique is to provide an impermeable cover adapted to cover and enclose the wound and adapted to maintain reduced pressure at the site of the wound. A seal is adapted to seal the cover to tissue surrounding the wound. A vacuum cooperates with the cover to supply reduced pressure beneath the cover and a rigid screen is provided which meets the seal surrounding the wound and is adapted to prevent overgrowth of wound tissue, the screen being located between the wound and the cover. This type of closure of an open wound provided some advancement in the art in addressing large wounds which are not able to heal spontaneously and are unable to successfully fight bacterial infection.
The current technology is effective in surrounding the tissue and providing an environment in which an initial stage of wound healing can occur which is characterized by the formation of granulation tissue which is a matrix of collagen, fibronectin, and hyaluronic acid carrying macrophages, fibroblasts, and neovasculature that forms the basis for subsequent epithelialization of the wound. This technique aided in increasing blood circulation within wounded tissue to promote healing and reduce infection and aided skin grafts and flaps.
Grafts and flaps can be used with much greater success on tissue that, although wounded, is able to form granulation tissue. Enhancing the technique for promoting blood circulation at the wounded tissue would also promote successful attachment, or “take,” of skin grafts or flaps to the wounded tissue as a consequence of increased blood circulation within the grafts or flaps.
However, this closure mechanism does not provide a mechanism for sufficiently repairing the tissue to an acceptable aesthetic configuration. Typically, the repair leaves the tissue permanently disfigured from its original shape. For example, in the case of burn victim's facial tissue being partially gone, the current technique provided suction using a flat surface which left the patient's tissue substantially disfigured.
Accordingly, there is a need to improve on the art in the field of negative pressure wound healing. There is also a need for providing a wound healing device which enables improved tissue growth configuration.